Indonesia to hack the crown in US-China trade war

On the one hand, when the coronavirus is proving itself as a nightmare to the whole world, on the other, it stood as a stroke of luck for Indonesia.

Repatriation and replacement of lost foreign jobs: Handling labour migration in Sri Lanka during COVID-19

Sri Lanka, which has been sending workers abroad for employment for decades, is now faced with the formidable challenge of repatriating large numbers of migrant workers affected by COVID-19.

Business cannot wait until vaccine found

World leaders wanting to end the lockdown and allow their people to move about and contribute to the national economy because many are drowning in bills as they remain shut due to the COVID-19 lockdown, will have to monitor closely for new infections and adjust the health controls they have in place until there is a proper vaccine for COVID-19.

The next challenge in lockdown education — Examinations

The COVID-19 lockdown has been a great leveler, as various sectors across the world struggle to maintain status quo.

Rebooting economy during COVID-19

Economies across Asia and the Pacific—like in much of the world—have been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak. To slow the spread of the virus, many governments have chosen to impose lockdowns and travel bans. While vital, these measures have also had severe economic impact. The Asian Development Bank estimates that Asia is likely to lose 68 million jobs, if the pandemic goes on until September.

Brewing up change under COVID-19: Transforming how tea is bought and sold in Sri Lanka

Picking, sorting, processing and grading tea leaves make up the fabric of life in Sri Lanka. And ensuring that people around the globe get their daily cups of chai, Earl Grey, English Breakfast or Orange Pekoe, is crucial to the local economy and jobs.

Recommendations for ‘virtual work life’

I recently attended a large virtual meeting. The topic was timely but several things went wrong: the host joined late, we were entertained by background ‘home’ noises, people interrupted each other, the chat feature wasn’t used and the host left the meeting before us!

What APAC companies need to do to drive region into new ‘Asian age’

Asia’s economy dominated until the 19th century, before being knocked off its pedestal by Europe and then the US. Since then, while the region has grown to become home to more than half the world’s population and soon half of the world’s middle class, it has not yet retaken this financial crown.

COVID-19 impact on economy and possible opportunities

One of the biggest challenges seen due to the coronavirus outbreak is the socio-economic downfall with over 200,000 deaths around the world without any cure at the moment (by end April 2020) (Source: World Health Organization – WHO).

COVID-19 urgently needs global response

People all over the world are increasingly standing in solidarity with one another to beat the virus. The COVID-19 pandemic will inevitably wreak its worst on the people, communities, and countries that are least able to withstand the shock or to provide a defence against it.

Oil palm industry – Not understood and utilised to potential

Consequence to COVID-19, Sri Lanka is now compelled to ban imports, restrict imports or increase import taxes to manage its valuable foreign exchange reserves. Though such short-term actions are timely and inevitable to face a crisis situation, they would invariably cause hardships to consumers, industrialists and eventually to the public.

An election in the time of pandemic in Sri Lanka

Despite the fact that electoral democracy in Sri Lanka faced many challenges in pre and post-independence eras, the country has managed to conduct periodical elections in national level.

Work from home: All too convenient but are we doing it right?

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic brought about a new wave of remote work for employers, who otherwise would not have considered venturing outside what was considered the norm, until recently.

What’s next for supply chains scrambled by the pandemic?

The emergency created by COVID-19 has stimulated innovation, creativity and novel ways of structuring tasks, organisations and systems. In the midst of this worldwide crisis, it is hard to assess what temporary measures will become more permanent - or will morph into something else.

Central bankers open up the pandemic box

Central banks worldwide have become the white knights to the rescue in the COVID-19 economic crisis. Having pledged ‘whatever it takes’ to expand liquidity and their balance sheets to fight the economic impact, they have been applauded.

Economics of social media based business in Sri Lanka during crises

As of January 2018, there were six million active social media users in Sri Lanka, accounting for 30 percent of the population.

Redefining e-commerce in Sri Lanka: Prospects post COVID-19

The COVID-19 global pandemic is likely the defining event of the decade, if not more and its implications are expected to change the way we work, socialise and behave. Rapidly evolving consumer buying behaviour and the pivot to online shopping is one such outcome of the pandemic and its associated social distancing measures.

How bad is COVID-19’s impact on Asian developing economies?

In its April World Economic Outlook, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts a baseline case of negative 3 percent global ‘growth’ in 2020, rebounding to 5.8 percent in 2021.

COVID-19 – An unprecedented crisis and also a tantalising opportunity

Henry Kissinger, in one of his infrequent statements says, “When the COVID-19 pandemic is over, many countries’ institutions will be perceived as having failed.

Automated Machine Learning to reach higher penetration with the turn of new decade

Before any business can make a crucial step forward in the transformation of their digital efforts, a paramount importance is placed on understanding and deriving even more insight from data than ever before.

Restaurants, cafes, eateries, pubs and recreational clubs – Potential strategies and focus areas

At the time of writing this article, we have completed 5 weeks of curfew and lockdown in Sri Lanka due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The overall economy has been impacted due to this pandemic with small businesses being hit the most.

Smoking in time of corona: Why limiting smoking important in battle against COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has already claimed thousands of lives worldwide. As expected with any respiratory illness, there is clear evidence that smokers are much more vulnerable to COVID-19 than non-smokers.

A global crisis like no other needs a global response like no other

I have been saying for a while that this is a “crisis like no other”. It is:

Women entrepreneurs give back more to society

Educating girls is very important for a prosperous world. It has a snowballing effect as according to USAID, educated women are twice as likely to send their children to school. This increases the chances of girls being educated in future as well.

Foreign investment drying up thanks to COVID-19; But there may be a silver lining

Just over a year ago, InvestChile – the South American country’s Foreign Direct Investment Promotion Agency – welcomed 300 foreign investors of 21 nationalities in Santiago. In a two-day event, they attended plenaries, workshops and over 200 meetings including with the president, advancing over US$ 7 billion in potential projects.

Bangladesh’s garment industry unravelling

Seven years ago, one of the worst industrial disasters in history — the collapse of an eight-story commercial building in Rana Plaza, Dhaka — demonstrated to the world the heavy price of producing cheap clothing to fuel the ‘fast fashion’ industry for consumers in the global North.

A post-coronavirus recovery in Asia – Extending a “whatever it takes” lifeline to small businesses

Asia was hit hard by the first wave of the coronavirus, as the sudden stop in activity struck households and firms simultaneously—first in China, then elsewhere in Asia and now globally. Policymakers responded swiftly with aggressive spending to support the medical response and vulnerable households and firms. And central banks took swift actions to expand liquidity.

Cyber distancing – The new norm in secure distance learning

Over the past few months, educational institutions around the world – from elementary schools to colleges and universities – have been forced to embrace distance learning. It’s now estimated that 70 percent of students are currently doing some form of online education.

Emerging narratives for a post-lockdown society

The fear of contagion has struck deep and some things will perhaps never go back to the way they were. Here are some possible narratives and changing paradigms that could emerge in a post-COVID-19 world:

Employers and their ability to pay post COVID-19

I am penning this as a matter of urgency and I concede I could develop the arguments and points better. I consider this an urgent appeal to the president to read it and find a solution, which will save not only jobs but the economy.